Elastic shoe lace



Aug. 5, 1930. c. s. BONNE ELAS TIG SHOE LACE Filed Aug. 26, 1929 Patented Aug. 5, 1930 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORNELIUS B. BONNE, OI BOOII'ORD, ILLINOIS nmsrrc error: non

Applioation filed August 86, 1989. Serial No. 888,824.

prise essentially a cloth non-elastic braid or string having metal tips to facilitate insertion into the holes of the shoe. When shoes are laced about the foot with this type of lace there is no opportunity for the shoe to expand even slightly with the movementof the foot.

If it is urged forward suddenly as in runningor jumping it comes against the front or laced part of the shoe and is stopped abruptly many times injurin the arch. If the lace breaks in one place al of the strands loosen and the entire lace must be replaced immedi-.

ately The laces are slow and cumbersome in lacing and knots are constantly coming loose. One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an elastic shoe lace which will ermit the shoe to to assume and snugly eep the contour o the upper foot assurlng foot comfort at all times.

Another object is the provision of ashoe lace with which the shoe may be rapidly laced and unlaced.

I have also aimed to provide a shoe lace 3 which will permit the upper part of the shoe to expand and contract with the swelling or contraction of the foot.

Other objects and attending advantages will be seen by those skilled in the art from the following description and the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section of the upper part of a shoe showing a lace in place; and

Fig. 3 is a side view of the subject-matter of my invention.

The lace ma be said to consistof three parts: the disce base 5, the lace 6, and the tip 7. In the preferred form all three parts are made from a single iece of rubber or made separately and vu canized together. The base is made from a rather hard and firm rubber which will not easily be distorted.

Its purpose is-to form a permanent anchorage for the lace, the end 7 bein inserted in the eyelet and the lace 6 drawn t rough until the base comes firmly against the underside of the eyelet. The base should therefore be made from a suificientl hard and firm rubber composition that it wil not be drawn through the eyelet. The lace 6 is made from a tough and elastic rubber and is of sufiicient length to hold the tip firmly against the side of the eyelet 8. The ti is made from a hard une astic rubber an has a hook shape to hold it firmly in its e elet under the tension of the e rubber used in preparin elastic lace. the laces is iven various colors to correspon wlth the co or of the shoes with which they are to be used. The number of laces to be used witheach shoe will corres 0nd to the number of pairs of eyeletsin the s 0e.

In use the ti Tis inserted in the eyelet 9 and the lace 6 rawn through until the base 5 rests firmly against the underside of the eyelet 9. The lace is then stretched while the tip is inserted in the eyelet 8. The tension on the lace will cause the ti to remain in the eyelet until it is removed y releasing the tension. This may be done by as in the lace 6 and exertin a slight pull in t e irection of the tip. t will be seen that the op-' eration of-the laces is very easy and rapid. After they are once inserted the sole movements necessary to lace and unlace the shoe is the removal of the top from the eyelet or the insertion of the tip therein.

While I have thus described and illustrat- 8g ed my invention I am aware that numerous changes may be made without de arting from the spirit of the invention and do not desire to limit it except by the spirit of the invention and the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In an elastic shoe lace the combination and a curved tip portion.

2. In an elastic shoe lace for shoes having eyelets the combination of an elastic rtion, means for preventing one end of sai elastic portion from passin through an eyelet and means for holding1 the opposite end of said elastic portion wit in the opposite eyelet.

3. is one piece elastic shoe lace for shoes 1 having eyelets comprising a disc-like rubber base portion, an elastic rubber body portion and a hard rubber inwardly disposed tip ortilpn adapted to hook through an eyelet o the s oe.

In witness of the foregoing I afix ny sig nature.

' CORNELIUS S. BONNE. 

